I am back at home now and everything is fine. I worked up a plan and it worked in the end so happy days, but it could have been a disaster!

In the end I remembered I had like 1/4 of salt water bucket in the bathroom so I asked the cat minder to pour it into the sump, then used the 3k pump to recirculate water in the sump, heat it up and then activate the return pump so get some warm water in the aquarium, also turned on the heating to make sure temperatures wouldnt get too cold, specially at night. I timed the Apex to automatically do this several times during the day. So basically run the 3k and turn off the heaters, when the temperature in the sump would reach 22 degrees it will automatically turn the heaters on until it would reach 26 degrees, then, the 3k will go off and the return will start to work for about 1 h. The heaters will remain on, once the temperature in the DT would go up to 24 degrees (24.5) I will switch off the return and heaters, and turn the 3k sump pump on. I would also turn the t5 on for a few hours to help heat up the DT. The two gyres were operating as usual providing O2 for the fish.

It repeated this process until I got home yesterday night.

Tank glass is filthy. I would do a big water change soon, probably tomorrow, fish are ok, no white spots. From what I can tell, the temperature in the tank never went below 23 degrees (or at least around 23 -+ 0.5 degrees) which is excellent.

Few lessons learnt, leave plenty of spare RO water containers before I leave and try to get a bigger container for the sump, around 40l minimum. Also, I need to provide a back up container to fill up the 40 liters container, that should give me enough RO for at least 2-3 weeks.

I will also leave a back up heater laying around so that if the worse happens the cat guy can just put it in the DT to help with the temperature.

Another thing I could have done and was gonna do in the event I hadnt found the salt water container was to remove the full siphon return pipe (the top) and leave the pipe open from the top at barely 2 cm from the edge of the glass, this will give me a bit more time before running out of water since ATM when running full siphon the water level in the overflow sits at around 8 cm, so the extra 6 cm would give me around 7 liters of extra water and most importantly it will stop the water level variations before the full siphon kicks in which is what caused the issue in the first place since the system is set to automatically shut off when the water level in the return section of the sump reaches certain height!

Anyway thanks again guys, glad nothing happened in the end scary to think the tank was running like this for almost 3 days!]]>Marine FishTue, 27 Dec 2016 11:19:39 +0000New Build - by: robert (robert carter)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/136787-new-build?start=120#192446
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/136787-new-build?start=120#192446Marine FishSat, 19 Nov 2016 21:12:15 +0000Bi Colour blennie problems - by: iknowkungfu (chris)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/137318-bi-colour-blennie-problems#192249
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/137318-bi-colour-blennie-problems#192249
I noticed when I added marine grazer he picks at this all day and does bother with the corals, so was thinking he was hungry, do I have to add this grazer food every day to keep my sps corals safe, would love to get him out but the tank is big and the rock work is stuck, maybe coke bottle thing but this is a smart guy and did not bother with it when I placed it in the tank last time.
Does anybody else have this problem and what is the best way to keep him from my sps.any suggestions would be great.

thanks]]>Marine FishMon, 31 Oct 2016 21:34:54 +0000Absolute Newbie - by: robert (robert carter)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/137288-absolute-newbie#192058
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/137288-absolute-newbie#192058Marine FishThu, 13 Oct 2016 16:37:19 +0000My 1st marine tank - by: Sukahn (Shane Doorley)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/136739-my-1st-marine-tank?start=150#191397
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/136739-my-1st-marine-tank?start=150#191397Marine FishTue, 23 Aug 2016 03:36:05 +0000Clown fish hosting - by: Sukahn (Shane Doorley)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/137194-clown-fish-hosting#191324
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/137194-clown-fish-hosting#191324Marine FishThu, 18 Aug 2016 00:07:27 +0000Planning a marine tank - by: Sukahn (Shane Doorley)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/137147-planning-a-marine-tank#190961
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/137147-planning-a-marine-tank#190961
I have an M90 136L tank currently for sale and will have a 3ft Clearseal tank going for sale probably next week so i can spend more time on my 5ft tank. Let me know if your interested in anything or if i can help with any questions you have ]]>Marine FishTue, 02 Aug 2016 01:28:50 +0000oh dear what have i done???? - by: carlowchris (chris)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/132347-oh-dear-what-have-i-done?start=270#190447
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/132347-oh-dear-what-have-i-done?start=270#190447
Good job I was only away for a few days and not a week or two or I'd be in real trouble.. ..Think I may start some proper diary s....instead of just little notes..

Seriously thinking about getting an apex more for monitoring than anything else.....Think I might make use of seahorses credit facility for this though.....very expensive peice of kit

Dory may be heading off for a new home soon as well if I can only catch him....he's about 4-5 inches and I've probly had for about 4 years ...him and the the bangai are the only fish I think left from maidenhead aquatic s.......but got someone with a monster of a tank who's looking for him so he'll go to a much bigger home with plenty of room to swim out the rest of his life....don't know if I'll get another baby dory ....there severely under rated for such a beautiful fish.]]>Marine FishSun, 10 Jul 2016 10:55:27 +0000Dracula shrimp goby, Stonogobiops dracula, - by: Sukahn (Shane Doorley)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/137042-dracula-shrimp-goby-stonogobiops-dracula#189813
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/137042-dracula-shrimp-goby-stonogobiops-dracula#189813Marine FishWed, 22 Jun 2016 22:47:35 +0000marine tank with low maintenance - by: jeff (Jeff Scully)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/136256-marine-tank-with-low-maintenance?start=60#188308
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/136256-marine-tank-with-low-maintenance?start=60#188308
How's the tank doing corals etc colours growth etc
How often you doing water changes
Are you dosing
How many hours the lighting on

He was out earlier having a good swim around (mind dazzling, has ti be said) But amazingly he never went near it at all like nowhere near it, I'm half wondering has he got the intelligence to stay away from it as maybe he remembers that whatever that thing is it tried to eat me

ceech wrote: Looking forward to see some pictures of amother salty tank how long is your tank running ? If not so long what for your bubble tip i had a disaster with an anemone which wiped my tank out as the tank was not mature and stable enough.

I agree with you, anemone is a bit of a challenge alright... My tank is not even long running (as im very impatient.. Lol) But, i did loads of water change and i did feed it every other day with fresh scallops and homemade beefheart mix (for my discus) for the first two weeks. Then when it seemed to be okay, it decided to move on a shaded rock! One time, it got stuck onto the wavemaker and a piece of flesh came off... So far, its looking calm..]]>Marine FishSat, 18 Jul 2015 21:52:38 +0000Marine Tank custom builts - by: jeff (Jeff Scully)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/136015-marine-tank-custom-builts#181691
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/136015-marine-tank-custom-builts#181691Marine FishTue, 07 Jul 2015 19:58:29 +0000Undulated Trigger Fish - by: jeff (Jeff Scully)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/136000-undulated-trigger-fish#181690
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/136000-undulated-trigger-fish#181690Marine FishTue, 07 Jul 2015 19:55:40 +0000New marine tank - by: jeff (Jeff Scully)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/132565-new-marine-tank?start=60#181689
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/132565-new-marine-tank?start=60#181689Marine FishTue, 07 Jul 2015 19:51:58 +0000Aquanano 40 marine from day 1 - by: carlowchris (chris)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/135679-aquanano-40-marine-from-day-1#181225
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/135679-aquanano-40-marine-from-day-1#181225Marine FishTue, 02 Jun 2015 23:31:52 +0000getting my feet wet again - by: ceech (Desmond Gaynor)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/135484-getting-my-feet-wet-again?start=30#180350
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/135484-getting-my-feet-wet-again?start=30#180350]]>Marine FishMon, 04 May 2015 20:44:36 +0000brackish setup - by: ceech (Desmond Gaynor)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/135618-brackish-setup?start=30#179033
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/135618-brackish-setup?start=30#179033]]>Marine FishFri, 20 Mar 2015 09:39:19 +000010 gallon pulsing xenia tank - by: jeff (Jeff Scully)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/134185-10-gallon-pulsing-xenia-tank#179016
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/134185-10-gallon-pulsing-xenia-tank#179016
Starting a new project in a new tank]]>Marine FishThu, 19 Mar 2015 20:52:13 +0000first marine tank - by: jeff (Jeff Scully)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/135553-first-marine-tank#178082
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/135553-first-marine-tank#178082
You have the idea with the lr also just be careful and monitor the tank
Thanks for the close up pics Deffo not goniopora on left look like a mix of 2-3 softies on one rock toxic green buttons which look cool when under actinics, xenia, gsp but still can't see properly]]>Marine FishThu, 19 Feb 2015 00:35:51 +0000So I was weak and couldn't resist anymore - by: ceech (Desmond Gaynor)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/134603-so-i-was-weak-and-couldn-t-resist-anymore?start=30#177548
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/134603-so-i-was-weak-and-couldn-t-resist-anymore?start=30#177548]]>Marine FishThu, 05 Feb 2015 11:31:18 +0000Marine tank using Orangic Aqua - by: carlowchris (chris)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/135325-marine-tank-using-orangic-aqua#176319
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/135325-marine-tank-using-orangic-aqua#176319
bit funny though that more people arnt using it.....long term use though...if your happy with the results and if when you do add corals.if there happy..why not carry on????

I have even tried feeding one side and then quickly go to his spot but the fish are so quick that he would barely get a couple of bites before everyone is on that side. The problem is that they are pigs and they finish whatever I throw in within 1 or 2 seconds.

Two solutions so far, or do the bottle trick (gonna try it this week) or feed krill (it is harder for the other fish to eat it and the jawfish seems to like it).

The fish is doing well anyway but since I reduced feeding to once a day (and sometimes I will skip a day) this guys are so hungry they will just eat like if there was no tomorrow

I have bought this device

Its a copy of the well known julian's thing, it is useful to feed corals without opening the lid (the pipette is about 45 cm long plus the tube give me plenty of length to reach most of the corals). Dont think is going to make much difference as, as soon as they realize what it is and I put it in the aquarium they will hand around it like a vulture...

I will keep you posted! I might record it in video so you can get an idea]]>Marine FishTue, 16 Sep 2014 13:12:39 +0000sudden death of flame angel - by: jeff (Jeff Scully)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/134805-sudden-death-of-flame-angel#172859
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/134805-sudden-death-of-flame-angel#172859Marine FishMon, 15 Sep 2014 22:22:40 +0000new project - by: igmillichip (ian millichip)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/134624-new-project#171840
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/134624-new-project#171840
The kit had the tank, 2 T5 bulbs, a heater, some other bits (I didn't even notice what they were) and an exteranal filter (205)....and I got an Fluval LED strip as well (with hundreds of LEDs in it).

All good and cheap as a starter for a small marine set-up for selected species of live stock.

So after building settling for a couple of hours I was tidying up the tank and noticed that the blenny has decided to take over to spots in the tank, during the day he rests under an empty oyster shell and at dusk/night he decided to live inside my power head!

I have 2 powerheads, one on each side of the tank that runs at intervals of 15 minutes (or use to), both on for 15 minutes and then off for another 15.

Luckily enough I notice he was inside the powerhead while this one was off otherwise he could have ended up as mince fish!

He either resides inside the powerhead or out on the top where the hair algae is. It is the only part of the aquarium with Algae at the moment (only a few bits left in the aquarium) but he seems so happy there that I decided not to clean it (it seems to be under control at the moment). So now I have disconnected that powerhead, he I wont be using it for a while...

I took a few proper pictures yesterday of the clowns and the elegance yesterday, might as well share them

And the two jawfish sharing the same burrow... so far so good, we will see what happens when the small one grows up

at the mo im left with cuc in one tank and no fish and in other tank im left with a couple of clowns and a few crabs ,was thinking of breaking down one tank and only having one tank till after summer has past but looking at them I may have too much live rock to put in one tank,has anyone ever over filled a tank with live rock?????I could put all the power heads in one tank so circulation would be good but water content in tank would be reduced so could this pose a problem for filters?????

was originally thinking of getting a few damsels or something and trying to keep the two tanks going but not sure if this a good idea,,if we ever see sunshine again could loose them too.

igmillichip wrote: I'm not convinced that the Fluval Edge is a good marine system.....it lacks the option for flexibility as well.

Keeping marine water in good condition is not hard if you put the effort in to making sure good fish-keeping techniques are followed.
Where things get awkward is when the good fish keeping techniques are ignore and things get run-down and you end up trying to recover failed system (by this that or the other, including adding this and that).

However, where there does need some skill is in the method of acclimatising new fish and the selection of appropriate fish.
Fish that are awkward feeders, especially those requiring a nice mature set-up, are best avoided until a bit of experience is gained (and with that, there comes having a hard-neck to cope with a fish going down-hill slowly as it simply refuses to eat).

There are, though, a good few varieties of fish out there that are good starter fish.

ian

+1 on the fluval comment, i dont really think theyre nicely designed for the rigors of marine fish keeping especially if you are thinking of corals and the likes.

if youve successfully kept tropical fish before i think you should have very little issues crossing over into the boundaries of the marine world. like the other lads said its not elusive nor is it rocket science. if you want to go fish only its pretty simple and probably more so than keeping a nice planted tank. a few things to bear in mind initially are the notions of having to monitor and adjust salinity when doing a water change and keeping your water quality that bit tighter as marines are a bit less forgiving than freshwater fish. they dont tend to handle fluctuations to kindly but generally there are some extremely hardy specimens that make great beginner fish. one thing i will say is once you do your basic husbandry properly theres not a whole lot which will go wrong. stick to the fundamentals of stocking correctly, feeding right amounts and performing routine water changes.

fist thing you wanna look at is what do you want to keep? fish only, fish with liverock, small soft coral reef? maybe the prospect of lps corals down the line? buy your equipment to keep up with your progress. if you think you wanna keep nice corals when you get a little more acquainted to the marine world then buy a tank or purchase a unit that will throw out adequate light for your proposed livestock. no point in realizing youl have to make serious upgrades down the line and will have to spend more money. if you just wanna keep some fish with some rockwork though you can make some equipment savings.

personally i love the look of a reef tank, its a little more expensive to set up but much more enjoyable to look at. there loads of little nano reef tanks on the market that are basically plug in and play models. most of which around the 100ltr mark, i think red sea does a 130 ltr cube too. then if you wanna get a bigger tank i know betta do a 180 litter 'life space' that comes with a sump, halide unit and stand/cabinet. it was my first serious marine tank after a highly modified reckord 800 lol and i couldnt fault it for what i paid. all these tanks will come ready suited to look after a vast array of soft corals, suitable reef friendly inverts and fish and will be more than adaptable to look after some more demanding livestock when you feel your ready. one addition i would add would be a protein skimmer and there are plenty of nano and hang on the back skimmers that will do the job. although not entirely necessary if you want to be doing more regular water changes they do pull a lot of gunk out of the tank and keep the water free from organics and suspended waste matter.

try to get the biggest tank you can afford, larger volumes of water fluctuate less and fluctuation is bad. at a push id say 4 small fish would be your max in an average 100 litre set up. keep an eye on your nitrate count. fish like grammas/pseudochromis, firefish, oscilaris clowns, cardinals, gobies, blennies (not madnarins or scooter blennies), dwarf angel at a push would be what your looking at in anything less than a 100 litre.

setting up is a simple as adding sand (about .5 to 1' is fine, bare in mind some fish like to burrow, there is advantages and disadvatges to having a deep sandbed or shallow one, some reekers use no sand :0), salt water and live rock and leaving it to cycle just like a freshwater tank. personally i would add a clean up crew consisting of hermits and snails after the tank has fully cycled, then maybe a few soft hardy corals and finally once the tank has settled into holding your clean up crew and corals adding a few fish providing your water parameters are in check. from there its really just a case of doing your standard husbandry and being vigilant. take your time no need to rush adding fish and inverts. good things happen slowly in a reef and bad things happen fast! the more research you do the more prepered and undaunted youl be! its surprisingly easy really. hope ive been of some assistance, there are plenty of saltwater specialist shops around that can help you out when your ready to take the plunge ]]>Marine FishMon, 18 Mar 2013 22:43:32 +0000Water changes! How much is acceptable? - by: Debrick (Ciaran barrett)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/130535-water-changes-how-much-is-acceptable#141894
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/130535-water-changes-how-much-is-acceptable#141894
I have a 450 litre tank I do a 20% change each month
I also have a 30 litre tank I use for fry , I do a 20% water change
each week so it also depends on ur tank size
Debrick]]>Marine FishTue, 12 Feb 2013 10:20:05 +0000Marine ICH cure that 's Copper free? - by: jeff (Jeff Scully)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/77594-marine-ich-cure-that-s-copper-free#138530
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/77594-marine-ich-cure-that-s-copper-free#138530

mickdeja wrote: here it is, some piece of work, wait till 1:19 and then the colour kicks in, savage.......

I do think though the importing from the sea all the way to the retails does have to be looked at to see if there is a less stress way to do things

Sean]]>Marine FishFri, 09 Nov 2012 19:01:52 +0000Running a Marine Tank without a Sump - by: ghart (Greg Hart)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/129460-running-a-marine-tank-without-a-sump#135213
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/129460-running-a-marine-tank-without-a-sump#135213
I have decided to go the voerflow box and sump way.
I will be looking to order a 42" sump today as it only cost around 120 euro custom built to my specifications.
I am then hoping to source all of my other requirements from forum members over time.
I will need a good quality skimmer, live rock (30Kg) ; water movers etc.

igmillichip wrote: The need for males in this world is only a little trick nature uses to help ensure genetic variability....and that includes us.

Some amphibians use a trick that could easily happen in humans.....the males genes do not enter the egg, and he does not fertilise the egg at all: he is just merely a trigger (probably calcium trigger) to allow the female to fertilise her own eggs.

Blokes.......you are probably not needed as much as you think. !!!

ian

Ah Ian don't say that i like to feel needed

It really is outstanding what can happen in our under water world sea life as something like this can state

paddyc1 wrote: Looking at upgrading the lighting so that'll be a few bob more.

You must go down the Aquaray Marine aquabeam Marine Led route, the effect is incredible.

I had 4 on my Marine Set-up and was thrilled.

Kev.]]>Marine FishTue, 22 May 2012 18:27:45 +0000my reef tank - by: alfmarcelli (Alfredo)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/110926-my-reef-tank#124300
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/110926-my-reef-tank#124300Marine FishTue, 22 May 2012 14:19:14 +0000Clown fish bully a Potters Angle fish - by: iknowkungfu (chris)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/120451-clown-fish-bully-a-potters-angle-fish#120451
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/120451-clown-fish-bully-a-potters-angle-fish#120451
My tank have beening running over 1 year and have had the clown since the start but I alway wanted one of these angles but I was woundering if this clown is starting to bully the angle.
When I came home tonight the angle was hiding in the caves in the back of the tank it looks like he wants to come out but when "i think "he sees the clown his back in.
I have taken the clown out to see if the angle is back out, only have 4 fish in the tank "like to understock "
but need some advise.

Do you think i will need to get rid of the clown?]]>Marine FishFri, 06 Apr 2012 19:30:59 +0000ceylon puffer - by: des (des)https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/119095-ceylon-puffer#119099
https://irishfishkeepers.com/forum-15561/10-marine-fish/119095-ceylon-puffer#119099
I don't speak from experience as I've never kept them but I'd say about 200 litres or so for two fully grown ones would be ok
the bigger the better really, I'd go for a species set up...